The time has finally come to open Ruoff Mortgage Stadium. Fort Wayne Football Club will play its first ever professional home match there 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Charlotte Independence.
Before you head to the match, make sure you check out the Stadium A-Z Guide that will answer many commonly asked questions. There is unlikely to be tickets for sale at the gate. The club appreciates your patience as we continue to put the finishing touches on the largest outdoor venue in Northeast Indiana.
On the pitch, Fort Wayne FC comes into the match with positive momentum. The club won its most recent match in USL League One play, riding an early Taig Healy goal to a 1-0 victory over the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on April 11. Last Saturday’s Prinx Tires USL Cup match may have ended in a 3-1 Fort Wayne FC loss, but the Autumn Gold & Black went toe to toe with the top team in USL Championship, Louisville City SC, even taking an early lead on a Lilian Ricol goal.
Both Fort Wayne FC and the Charlotte Independence come into today’s match with 1-2-1 records. Charlotte lost its last two USL League One matches, but it’s coming off a 2-1 victory in the USL Cup over the Richmond Kickers, another League One team.
In league play, Charlotte has been the more dangerous team offensively so far, scoring eight goals with an average of five shots on goal per match. Viggo Ortiz has a team-leading two goals. Fort Wayne FC has three goals this season, by Ricol, Healy and Ryan Becher, and the club has averaged three shots on goal per match.
Defensively, each team has allowed six goals total and each has one clean sheet.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.